Bukembe and Barding confound fans to coast to semis

Could this be Kenya’s year of glory in East Africa boys‘ football?

So far, the gods of football are smiling down on Barding High School and Friends School Bukembe, who qualified for today’s semifinal, as this year’s Brookside East Africa secondary school games enter the penultimate stage.

Abubakar Omondi and Ziko Kombo scored deep in the second half in their 2-0 win over Rwanda’s College Gisenyi yesterday at Hill School, Eldoret.

Bukembe on the other hand had no respect for last year’s champions Masaka of Uganda sending them parking with a 1-0 beating.

The national silver medalists have promised to do what their predecessors have failed — lift the elusive regional title.

Save for St Anthony’s Kitale, who won the inaugural championships in 2002, 14 years on, no other Kenyan team has tasted glory at the games.

But Barding are ready to take up the challenge. They have washed their hands and are now ready to dine with the kings.

The Rwandese opposition was formidable for most of the opening 20 minutes.

Abdulkarim Nsabimana pulled strings from the midfield, but Kenya’s defence was unmoved.

When Iddi Hassan Ali was not diffusing any threats, captain Arnold Onyango was dealing with the spills at the edge of the box.

Theirs was homework well-done.

But it was Ziko’s exploits from the flanks that drew constant cheers from the crowd.

His deft touches brought fans to their feet.

There were cheers with every shot and shouts of “aaaaa” at every miss. It was electrifying.

Kombo was not afraid of taking on his markers. His courage was admirable and his pace, blistering. He covered every blade of grass on that Hill School ground. And he seemed to enjoy every bit of it as he occasionally smiled at the expectant fans.

Only 90 minutes stand on the way between Barding and glory. Will the gods remain faithful to the Kenyans?

In the girls battle national champions St John’s Kaloleni extended their unbeaten run with a 2-0 over their Nginda counterparts to book a semis date with Wiyeta in a repeat of the nationals final.

The evergreen Hellen Ochieng bagged a brace to power St John’s into the semis while Wiyeta trounced Mukono of Uganda 3-0.